TTV attracts Muslims, youths; targets EPS, BJP

MADURAI: The Pudur busstand in Madurai is a bustling hub, the peace broken by ear-shattering sound of horns and commuters scrambling for buses. On Saturday afternoon, it was a different scene. Youths, women and party cadres stood in groups, braving the blistering heat, some holding up the AMMK’s black-white-red flags even as a loud speaker blared out songs praising T T V Dhinakaran. Taking pride of place sat a huge gift box wrapped in glittering blue paper on a cycle cart -- the AMMK’s new symbol for the Lok Sabha election. “It is a synthetic water tank wrapped in gift paper,” said M Murugesh sheepishly. He cycles it to TTV’s campaign venues. In a show of solidarity, young members of SDPI, the AIPMK, a fringe group, and the INL, all AMMK’s minor partners, arrived from nearby Selur and Subramanyapuram. The crowd is disciplined and there are just a few police personnel. The only sign of flashiness was the arrival of about 30 youths on motorbikes without silencers. There are no music bands or entertainers. The only dash of colour is the glittering bright wrappers of gift boxes. An election commission videographer unobtrusively recorded the scene. “This is for the expenditure team,” said K Mani, a short, scrawny man holding a video camera as he jumped off a jeep that had a label stuck on it that said ‘Election Immediate’. As the VIP convoy neared, the party song grew loud -- ‘theeporiye varuga,,,cauveriya pongivarum TTV’ (welcome spark of fire…TTV who rises like the Cauvery). As TTV arrived, dressed in his signature beige kurta, Valli from Sellur craned her neck to catch a glimpse of him. “TTV should head AMMK. He is clearly the leader, not Sasikala,” she said. Uma echoed her sentiments, saying, “He has shown mettle. Sasikala can leave the party to him.” TTV kept his speech short, campaigning for his party’s Madurai candidate, K David Annadurai, son of former AIADMK leader and assembly speaker K Kalimurthu. His targets -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami. The words ‘amma’ and ‘parisu petti’ were liberally used in his speech as he anointed himself heir of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.

In Munichalai Road, little children holding flags and yellow flower petals in plastic tumblers hailed TTV, who rarely kept his audience waiting. At the next halt, Thirupuirankundram that falls within Virudhunagar constituency, two drones captured TTV’s campaign. As the leader wound up his speech, it was expenditure observer Kalyanasundaram’s turn to jump into his jeep and pursue TTV. “I am in charge of Virudhunagar constituency,” he said as he sped away. Poonjolai, walking with friends towards a mini truck, grumbled that Rs 100 was too little for the five-hour excursion. In front of a shop, close to TTV’s campaign spot, sat three DMK functionaries, ticking off names on a neatly printed list of voters of Sannadhi Street near the famous Thiruparankundram temple.